Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-26

tIauS4atlOu mHNo NY eA0 O1CCtoH
Temperance ADVOCATE, We quote as
follows from Professor Bunge's lecture:
among the Indications of paralysis
which are usually interpreted as stimu-
lation must be included the benumbing
of the sense of fatigue. 1t is firmly
rooted belief that alcohol strengthens
the tired man for new work and exer-
tion. The sense of fatigue is the safe
ty-valve of our engine He who be-
numbs the sense of fatigue in order to
work on is like the man who fastens
down the safety-velve in order to be
able to overhead the engine.
"The mistake of supposing that al
cohol strengthens the tired man is
specially mischievous for the large
working class. Poor people whose in
come, independently of this, is barely
sufficient for an honorable livelihood,
are induced by this prejudice to spend
very considerable part of their earn
ings on alcoholic drinks, instead of on
abundant and appetizing nourishment,
which alone can strengthen them for
their laborious work.
"That the prejudice about the
Strengthening action Of alcohol is so
ineradicable may be explained by the
experience of habitual drinkers. If
man is once accustomed to the regular
consumption of alcohol, he is actually
rendered capable of more exertion by
means of the alcohol than he would be
on the sudden and complete with
drawal of it. We are not yet in po-
sition clearly to explain this phenome-
non, but it is completely analogous to
the action of other poisons on persons
habituated to them. If an opium
eater is deprived of his opium he can
neither work, sleep, nor eat; he is, so
to speak, strengthened by the opium,
but the man who is not accustomed to
any narcotic is not rendered more Cap
able of exertion by any.
'That the most moderate doses are
not only completely useless, but posi-
lively injurious, is proved DIETER than
by any scientific deduction) by the nu-
merous experiments on large scale
which have been tried in the treatment
of troops, and which have already es-
tablished the fact that in all climates.
whether in war or peace, in heat, in
rain, in cold, soldiers can best bear all
the hardships of the severest marches
when they are completely deprived of
all alcoholic drinks" The author
sums up this part of his argument in
the following emphatic statement:
alcohol, therefore, strengthens no
one; it doA but benumb the feeling of
fatigue"
Professor Bunge is not only prepared
for total abstinence for the individual,
but also for prohibition by the State.
Referring to remedial measures, he
says:
"a nation can no more be trained up
to morality than an individual. The
power of the State must interfere; if
the State has right to punish crime
and that even with death-it has also
the right to prevent crime.
II know we'll that the whole tendency
of liberal feeling rises up in opposition
to this. That is nothing but grand
motherly leginlationv But in case of
another narcotic opium everybody
admits the propriety of this grand
motherly legislation The sale of
opium is forbidden in all States. Here.
as matter of fact, we find the indi-
vidual protected against his own weak
ness by the power of the State. It is
a most characteristic fact thet hun
dreds of medical men yearly fall VIC
Tins to the craving for opium, because
they are the only people who can easily
procure the poison; the only people
who do not share the benefit Of State
protection. Here, at any rate, we see
that intelligence is not enough to pro-
tect man. No one, of course. sees
the mischief so clearly as the physician !;
yet he needs the protection of State
his own weakness.
Gambling is forbidden in all civil
lied States. And yet the danger which
might arise to society from gambling
is infnitesimally small when compared
to the consequences of drunkenness.
Now, what would you think if any one
were to say: Gambling is a pleasure
to me, it is a most agreeable refresh
ment after my work; it amuses me; it
changes the current of my thoughts.
There is no danger at all in it for me !;
[ am completely master of myself; 1
shall never let this taste for it grow
intoa passion. And, therefore. 1 should
like to have gambling hell opened at
every street-corner, so shot might 60
in and enjoy my pleasure whenever I
choose. If others have SO little force
of character as to ruin themselves and
their families. what does that matter to
me?'
"Let the truth be confessed! This is
exactly the standpoint occupied by the
great majority of men in regard to the
question of alcohol. Nothing gives us
such perception Of the selfshness of
the human heart as an attentive con-
sideration of mems attitude in regard
to the alcohol question. How ought
we to characterize the conduct of man
who says: Let millions of my fellow
men be sent every year to hospital or
to prison, let millions ruin themselves
and their families, or be brought to
despair and suicide, so long as can
have my beer every evening-or, SO long
as I can get the dividends on my brew
cry shares!'
II cannot admit the common excuse.
sWe are not setting an example of in
temperance, we are always temperate